Exhibition Developer at The American LGBTQ+ Museum
Job Title: Exhibition Developer
Job Status: Full-time
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $45,000
Role Description:
The American LGBTQ+ Museum (Museum), in collaboration with Lambda Legal (Lambda), seeks an exhibition developer to lead the design and execution of a traveling panel exhibition visiting 6 cities in the United States in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Lambda’s founding. The exhibition developer manages all facets of exhibition creation, from concept development and curation of content to interpretation, prototyping, design, and installation. They will work with Museum and Lambda staff/researchers and local content experts (including curators, community leaders, and/or educators) as well as a contract graphic designer and fabricator/printer to complete the project.
- Five to seven years of relevant experience preferred
- Project management experience mandatory
- Previous museum experience preferred, or an overall understanding of exhibition development from concept development through installation
- Demonstrable knowledge of LGBTQ+ history and culture
- Experience managing multiple concurrent exhibitions and projects while maintaining flexibility with shifting priorities and deadlines
- Excellent communication, research, presentation, and organizational skills, with ability to recall information and juggle multiple tasks
- Methodical and strong attention to detail
- Capacity to solicit, digest, and resolve sometimes conflicting feedback from internal and external stakeholders
- Respectful of trust, transparency, and differing perspective and communication styles
- Flexible team player with strong leadership skills, responsible for nurturing the collaborative process
Essential Developer Duties and Responsibilities:
- Curate content for the exhibition based on research and archival material provided by Lambda and local content experts
- Identify and hire the exhibition designer
- Identify and hire the panel fabricator/printer
- Coordinate exhibition transportation and material handling (drayage)
- With Museum Programs and Partnership team, develop original local content in 6 communities
- Lead exhibition concept development
- Document research and exhibition development
- Contract design/brand for exhibition, visitor handouts, and other interpretive materials (if any)
- Adhere to safety protocols and consultant guidelines
Fee:
Project Background:
To mark the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Lambda Legal in 2023, the American LGBTQ+ Museum will be partnering with Lambda on a traveling panel exhibition focused on the role that litigation and the courts have played in LGBTQ+ equality over the past 50 years. The exhibition will travel to the six cities in which Lambda Legal has offices, as well as two other cities where the American LGBTQ+ Museum is looking to establish strategic partnerships. The exhibition will consist of about twelve panels that focus on three narrative areas:
- National landmark cases of the last 50 years, many of which Lambda litigated, in the battle for queer equality
- Major cultural moments during the same period
- How these decisions impacted and involved each community where exhibition is presented
The American LGBTQ+ Museum and Lambda Legal will identify a local partner/host site in each city. These could be LGBTQ+ community organizations, libraries, or history museums. There will be an opening event and public program at each venue, organized in collaboration by the Museum, Lambda, the hosting venue, and potentially other partners.
Goals for the Project:
- Building partnerships/collaborative relationships in communities around the country for two national organizations
- Documenting an important set of histories and increasing historical literacy among visitors
- Increasing awareness and attracting new donors and volunteers
- Building relationships with political decision-makers in the host communities
Exhibition Details:
Exhibition will travel to 6 cities throughout the United States, identified between 6 major cities in which Lambda Legal holds office headquarters. There is a point person at each Lambda Legal office that will help organize locally.
- Cities with Lambda offices: Atlanta, DC, New York, LA, Dallas, Chicago
A local site will be identified at each location to host the exhibition and coordinate with local staff to produce the event. Potential venues include:
- Local historical societies
- LGBTQ+ community centers
- Public libraries
- University galleries
The exhibition will consist of 6 panels that are consistent across sites and 2 panels that will change for each site. The purpose of the site-specific panels is to highlight a specific narrative or two of people in that area who have been personally impacted by the litigation.
Company Background, American LGBTQ+ Museum
While other great institutions and organizations exist to investigate, preserve, and tell their histories, we believe a national LGBTQ+ museum is overdue.
How can LGBTQ+ communities effectively and proudly face the challenges ahead of them without knowing where we have been? How can we control the narrative about who we are, if we don’t have a space to share our stories with the wider community and enshrine our position in American society?
The Museum will seek to:
- Illuminate LGBTQ+ history as integral to human history
- Preserve artifacts, personal stories, and intangible heritage that are being lost every day
- Educate our communities on the evolving, complex, and sometimes internally contentious narratives of LGBTQ+ history
- Provide a physical space for LGBTQ+ people that fosters individual dignity and unifies across generations and differences
- Serve as a “school for activists”; support and inspire a new generation of activists to advance social justice
The Museum is committed to making its permanent home in New York City, a choice that has been confirmed by our research. New York was selected because of its cultural context, its historic significance in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and its popularity as a tourist destination.
The American LGBTQ+ Museum preserves, investigates, and celebrates the dynamic histories and cultures of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, as well as those of the emergent and adjacent identities among their communities. Using exhibitions and programs, the Museum seeks to advance LGBTQ+ equality through the lens of social justice movements, including, but not limited to, race, gender, class, immigration, age, and disability. The Museum envisions a world in which all people work toward and experience the joy of liberation.
For more information about The American LGBTQ+ Museum, please visit the website.
Company Background, Lambda Legal
Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we do not charge our clients for legal representation or advocacy, and we receive no government funding. We depend on contributions from supporters around the country.
We select cases that will have the greatest impact in protecting and advancing the rights of LGBT people and those with HIV.
We lead high-impact public education campaigns to help people exercise the rights they have and to build public support for equality.
Public Policy
We advocate for public policy at the local, state and federal levels to improve the lives of LGBT people, people affected by HIV, and their families and allies.
For more information about Lambda Legal, please visit the website.
To Apply
For more information or to apply, please send resume and cover letter to hr@americanlgbtqmuseum.org.